Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1887-05-25
A REV0LUTIONAKY HERO OF TEN
NEssEE.

A REVOLUTIONARY HERO OF TEN
NEssEE.
ua-prr'e Magazine.
In the time of the Revolution this
region was tenanted by fierce tribe
of Indians called ChicEamaugas. The
first settlers of Nashville came into
collision with them when they took
their perilous way down the Tennes,
see to that remote outpost of civiliza.
ton, and for many years they waged
an unrelenting war upon the whites.
Time and again Sever invaded their
strongholds at and near Chattanooga,
burned their towns, destroyed theii
crops, and drove the bravest of thcir
warriors like frightened deer to the
mountains. But they could not be
subdued until Sewer could discover
their secret tas,ncss. Hiding in them
till the storm was over, the lniscreants
would again emerge INTO the daylight.
rebuild their birch-bark cabins, and
resume their barbarous warfare.
For eighteen years they were the
terror of the entire border. Sewer
was well-nigh everywhere, but even
his sleepless vigilance could not guard
every scattered dwelling. Issuing in
parties these wretches would tall at
midnight upon some unprotected farm
house, plunder and STAY the occupants,
ard be back in the inaccessible haunis
before pursuit could be undertaken
Every white man prayed for ven
geance upon them, but until their Sc
cret haunts were known the prayer
could not be answered. AT last, how
ever, came the stripping David who
was to meet this Goliath of Gath. and
through him the power of the Chicka-
maugas was broken.
He was a boy OF fifteen, named
Joseph Brown, and his story is re-
markable instance of long studied
vengeance in one so young; but space
will allow me to refer to only two of
its incidents. His father had been
awarded some lands in the vicinity OF
Nashville for services in the Rcvolu-
ton, and in 1888 he set out, with his
family, to settle upon them. Within
a few miles of Chattanooga his boat
was suddenly surrounded by about
forty Indian canoes, and in a few mo-
ments his headless body lay at the
bottom of the Tennessee.
His two oldest sons, and four other
young men were at o3ce murdered,
and his four younger children made
prisoners. Joseph's captor was a
young half breed brave named CHA
chatt-alla, who spared his life that he
might be the slave OF his mother. de-
graded Frenchwoman who had been
brought up and married among the
Chickamaugas. He took Joseph to
her cabin, and then returned to the
boat to secure his share of the plumber.
He had scarcely gone when there ap-
pearcd at the door of the cabin Cutie
atoy. the head cniet Of the small town
of Tuskegee, opposite Chattanooga,
with dozen of his warriors, deu.and
ing the boy from the Frenchwoman.
He said the lad was old enough to
notice everything, and if allowed to
live would escape, and some day pilot
there an army to destroy them all
The boy could not understand his
words. but he did his actions. A dozen
knives and tomahawks cleaned above
him, but they did not fall, for the
woman sprsng before the boy, declar
ing now that he should not be muir.
dered, and saved his life.
For more than year the boy was O
prisoner among the Chickamaugas,
enduring all sorts of hardships, hui
meanwhile discovering all their hid.
ing places in the mountains. Then he
was liberated by John Sewer, and re-
turned to his friends in South Caro-.
lima.
Then the words of Cutie -atoy came
to him: "l1e is old enough to notice
Everything, and some day he will es.
cape and pilot an army here" Again
and again the words came to the boy
It'll the idea became his controlling
Thought Gradually then it began tC
dawn upon HIM that God had saved
his life for q purpose, and that pur
pose was vengeance upon the Chicka
maugas.
But he kept his thoughts TO himself,
for experience had taught him to bt
silent and patient and wary. So he
waited till he was nearly nineteen, and
had grown to the statue of manhood
Then he proposed to his mother tc
carry out his fathers intention of set
Ting on their lands near Nashville
This he did within striking distance O
the Chickamaugas.
They Travelled overland to Nash
vile, and on his fathers lands thu
boy, not yet nineteen, built cabin
and assumed the duties of head of tn,
family.
Now the youth thought himself ole
enough to take part in the bloody
drama that was being enacted every
where about him. He repaired tc
james Robertson, who had militar,
command of the Nashville district
and told him that he knew the secre
fastness of the river Indians, and coulC
pilot an army TO their rear which
might destroy them. Robertson heart
him gladly. but shook his head saying
that he could do nothing. The order.
|of the government were imperative
that both he and Sewer should &C
|strictly on the defensive, and undel
mo circumstances again invade the
Cherokee country. Spain held Lou